Russian President Vladimir Putin has weighed in on claims that he’s meddling in the U.S. election. Putin made the remarks Thursday in southern Russia.

President Vladimir Putin: “Does anyone seriously think that Russia can in some way influence the choice of the American people? Is America some kind of banana republic? America is a great country, correct me if I am wrong.”

Hillary Clinton has accused rival Donald Trump of being a “puppet” of Putin. She also says Russia is behind the theft of campaign emails made public through WikiLeaks.